City of Angel: Yet Another Apocalypse
by The Pearl Red Knight
Summary: They're BA-ACK. This time, The Scoobies and the Fang Gang team up with a few new characters and some old ones to take down a group of Big Bads aimed at-what else?-world domination. Changed to M, because of Renee and Gabe. :D
1. Disclaimer

DISCLAIMER

I do not own Buffy, Angel, Twlight, Final Fantasy, or Blood and Chocolate nor any of its characters. They all belong to the wonderful Joss Whedon, Stephenie Meyer, SquareEnix and Annette Curtis Klaus. THE only characters I own are Renee, Kate (well, at least the name and her character; part of her BG story, too), some bad guys, and their stories. Thank you. (Yes, it's a weird combo of x-overs...)

Postscript: I wish I owned David Boreanaz and/or James Marsters, but sadly, I do not.

-hanichan


	2. Prologue

A/N: Thanks for reading my story! Have fun, and if you start to get confused, **message me**. I'll tidy some things up in a jiffy. Review and tell me what you think! Quick rundown for those who are unfamiliar with FF9: **Steiner** is the captain of the Pluto Knights, and throughout the game, multiple people-usually Zidane-ignore him and his orders. Enjoy!

Prologue  
Over 120 years ago...

Bodies littered the parlor. Several were sticking halfway out the windows, the virginal white curtains fluttering eerily in the gentle night breeze. Blood was splashed everywhere imaginable: on the walls, the floor, the ceiling, the doors. Some had even escaped outside, ruining the lush green gardens and beautiful flower arrangments. An Irish man of around 26 steadily walked across the room, his boots thudding against the marble. "Aye, Alessa," he muttered, his accent seductive yet his words clipped. "You'll be having a clean-up job to do."

The brunette woman looked up her rocking chair, where she held the body of a newborn infant. Her golden eyes reflecting the light from the fireplace, she smiled, and her white teeth were spotted with blood. "Didn't I tell you I wish to be called Renee? That is no longer my name. And I'm not complaining." Her English was improving, no longer slipping into French as often. "It means I get a little more blood as a reward. Besides, shouldn't you be looking for William and Katherine? They ran off in search of that blond-haired fool who dared to leave us when we needed his help. And what about Darla and Drusilla? They should be around here somewhere, feeding off other young royals." She tossed the infant aside. "Poor creature, he was so delightful, even in death. Did you hear his cooing? Like the sounds of a-"

"We don't need his help," the man gruffily interrupted. "He was a coward, and not worthy of your grace and honor."

"Come now, Angelus. You're making me blush."

"Fine, then. I'll be back before sunrise." He paused outside the door. "Don't eat anyone else, lest we attract more attention to Holtz."

"That blundering idiot on a fat pony? He would never dare catch us." Renee gestured to the adjacent room, where half the wall was blasted open. "I have powers the likes of which he has yet to witness. What we call art, he spits upon. Ludicrous fellow, he is."

"I mean it. It will be a red beacon in the night."

She sighed. "Spoil my fun. Go on, go on." Without another word, Angelus left. Renee turned her attention back to the bodies. "What a mess you humans are," she spoke to a dying lord who lay slumped against the wall. "One small little cut, and blood comes pouring out of you. Messy, messy, messy..."

The young man gasped. "Please...my fair...woman...spare me...please..."

Her smile twisted into a scowl. "Quiet, you mule." She struck the side of his face, and the man moved no more. "It's been a long time since I've spared anyone's life. Why should you have been different?"

--

Katherine leaned over William. "Did you find his scent?" she asked, her bubbly voice carrying into the surrounding trees. Her wide blue eyes gave the impression of a walking doll, and her fair blond hair and complexion were almost translucent in the moonlight. "William? We must hurry, so we can join with Alessa-no, Renee-and Angelus again."

He glanced over his shoulder, his dark eyes piercing hers. "He's nearby. In hiding." He raised his voice. "Carlisle! Come out! Face us like the man you once claimed to be!"

"It's no use." Drusilla drifted over to his side. "The poor kitten is frightened, scared of what we did." She played with her dark hair. "He's terrified of the monster she has become. The monster he created."

Like a shadow, Angelus emerged from the trees. "No. He sired her. I molded her to become a goddess." He glared at Drusilla. "Where is Darla?"

Katherine sneered. "She ran off to her Master. Slave girl, that one is. Skips away at his every beck and call."

"Of course she is, pet. Ever since you and your sister found us, Angelus has been paying less attention to her and more to Renee." William smirked at Drusilla. "I, however, know how to keep my women in check."

"Enough." Renee jumped down from the trees, landing silently on the balls of her feet. "Dawn approaches. We take our leave." She took Angelus' hand. "Come, let's run. I feel my exhilaration coming to an end, and it feels wrong." Laughing, they disappeared into the night.

* * *

A Century Ago...

Angelus sprinted through the woods, barely missing the trees and branches as he ran. The sun would be coming soon, and he needed to find shelter or else he would be burned to a crisp. He dodged another tree and kept running. From his right, he saw a buck rushing beside him, hoping to elude the vampire. The deer had no reason to worry, the silly creature.

This particular vampire was in too much pain to even take notice of much around him.

--

Renee huddled under the blanket, careful to keep her eyes on the cobblestone as she got closer to the small house. The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, and the tops of her feet were already sparkling as if embedded with tiny jewels. She wasn't like the others-she wouldn't burn to death if exposed to the sun. However, she did need to keep a low profile, or risk the Volturi coming after her. Luckily for her, the resident in this house was home temporarily, readying his things to move on to the New World.

A window was down, and his sweet scent filled her senses completely. "Carlisle," she breathed, knowing he would hear her.

The front door opened. A man stood perplexed in the doorway, his light hair almost glowing against the darkness of the house's interior. "Renee?" he asked, venturing forward slightly. "What-?"

She threw herself into his outstretched arms. "It hurts!" she screamed. "It hurts...!"

* * *

Two Years Ago...

"Hey there, Tall-Dark-and-Rocking!" Lorned, the green empath demon, greeted Angel as he entered the large staff meeting room. "How goes little miss Slayer?"

Angel shrugged. "Basically told me to get lost. She was working with other...champions," he tacked on grudgingly.

"Are there other champions?" Fred inquired, still pouring over some papers. "I mean, aren't you the only vampire with a soul?"

Wesley gently pat her back. "Of course there are no other champions."

"Yeah," Gunn agreed. "Otherwise, our boss would be out of a job." They all laughed. Angel opened his mouth to tell them, "Well, actually, Spike is also a champion because he has a soul," but decided against it. No need for that news to come out quickly. "Anyway, you remember the chiquorita that escorted me around here? Finally got her digits. (Remember, this is** pre-**lawyer Gunn.) Said she'll consider going out with me."

Fred nudged him playfully. "Well, you are quite the ladies' man."

Wesley scowled. "Can we please get to work now?"

Lorne smiled. "Work for me is like break for you. I need to contact Mr. Shatner again. Seems he missed the meeting on Monday. Now I've got some cleaning up to do, thanks to one no-show and a fistfight between Schwimmer and Perry. Toodles!" He sashayed out of the room.

"The lab wants to go over a few procedures in case an experiment goes wrong, or worse, it wakes up. See you guys later." With a small wave, Fred followed Lorne through the exit.

Gunn knocked his fist against Wesley's. "Got some more laziness to cover. I'll be swamped all day."

Angel nodded to him as he left. "Wes, do me a favor and bring me one of your templates. I need to do some research."

"I don't know, Angel. Can I trust you with objects such as those?"

"They're books. Besides, shouldn't it be the other way, me not trusting you?"

Wesley gave him a blank look.

"Oh, come on! Remember?" When his friend still sported a expressionless look, he added, "'The father will kill the son?'"

"What?" Wesley asked.

_Oh, damn. I forgot. _"Nothing, Wes. Just...please get me one of the templates."

"Alright." Throwing Angel a confused glance, he walked out.

"Nice job there, boss." Eve leaned against the doorframe. "Almost spilled the beans about you-know-who." She grinned. "You know, a mistake like that could cost you and your friends this branch the Senior partners worked so hard to give you. They don't remember who Connor is, so...why remind them?"

"Get out of here, Eve," Angel growled.

"Fine. Fine. Just making sure you remember the agreement: you get Wolfram and Hart, and your son lives in peace...away from you." Her grin widened. "Have a good day, boss." With her usual second-smirk, she left the meeting room. Angel watched her walk away before going back into his office.

--

Thousands of miles away from Los Angeles, in Paris, Renee lounged in a similar staff room of her branch of Wolfram and Hart, bored out of her mind. She was summoned to a meeting involving the CEOs of different branches around the world, with one obvious exception. That single exception was one of the main reasons she was now counting the miniscule cracks in the wall (totaling around 7,295). Another reason was the CEO from England, who must have had the most monotonous voice ever heard in the history of the universe. Even Steiner held her attention for a minute or two before she lost interest. No, this guy had to be the most annoying, dull, noncharismatic, stupid, sexist person-

"Miss Monticello? Are you listening?"

She woke from her reverie. "You were just informing us all about the decrease in clients concerning tax fraud and such, which should be applauded by all branches, yet remains to be simply viewed as acceptable."

He blinked. "Er, exactly. As I was saying, this percentage should always be..."

And he lost her again. As his dull voice filled the room once more, she closed her eyes, gently playing with the silver ring on her chain. _It's like listening to Ben Stein. _Thankfully, her cell phone vibrated with a text message. She flipped it open. **"Katherine is dead. A werewolf has appeared to have snapped her neck, which apparently killed her. You remember how she miraculously become human, thanks in part to the old Watchers' Council. Come to the States immediately. -Todd" **Her boredom dissipated, replaced with cold fury.

"But what does it all mean, John? Can't you simply deal with them in the friendliest way possible? _Grazi, prego, _kiss-kiss!"

"The London branch of Wolfram and Hart does not make deals with lowlifes such as them!"

"_Signora _Ilona, calm down."

"DON'T YOU TELL ME TO BE CALM!"

Renee cleared her throat. "Pardon me, _mesdames, messieurs. _I have some business to attend to in the States. We shall have to continue this another day. I'm terribly sorry for wasting such valuable time."

Ilona stared up at her. "Does it concern the new CEO, Angelus?"

"Actually, it's just Angel now-"

"Hush, John."

"Uh, no. It has to do with the...Manhattan branch. I'll give you all the details when I return." She motioned to Jean-Claude. "_Mon manteau, s'il vous plait." _(YES!! MY FRENCH CLASSES COME THRU AT LAST!)

"But, Renee, what does Manhattan want-?"

"Like I said, I'll fill you all in later. _Au revoir."_

* * *

A Few Months Ago...

Vivian Gandillon crouched down on the roof of her house, staring up at the stars in the sky. She could sense the others returning from their evening run. She had already showered and eaten by the time they all left. Funnily enough, she had taken her time because she didn't want to go on a run with Gabriel. Although she had accepted him as her mate, it was still a little awkward to be around him, to be so close to him. Until she was out of high school, they wouldn't become full-time mates. Ever since Aiden had gone and shot her, she'd become separate from the pack, walking to school by herself and eating meals alone in her room. When Gabriel called in the evenings, she let her mom answer the door only to shoo him away. She was glad Esmé had finally gotten herself a man-Tomas-but still, Vivian knew nothing would be the same until she and Gabriel were completely together.

Deciding that Gabriel wouldn't call tonight, she climbed back down to her window. A light wind picked up, and she had the sudden feeling that she wasn't alone. Glancing aorund at the trees, she saw nothing save for a few early morning birds and a squirrel scampering up a trunk. The shadows would hide nothing from that brilliant nose of hers. Yawning, she tied her tawny hair back into a ponytail and slid into her room.

As if to laugh at the irony, the telephone rang. She sighed exasperatedly and stumbled out to the hall to answer it. "Hello?"

"Well, well. She's alive after all." Gabriel's amused voice was like a lazy rumble of thunder. "How have you been doing, Vivian?"

"I'm fine. Nothing you should worry about. What do you want?"

"Easy, easy. Chill, babe. Wanted to make sure you can walk and talk. Haven't heard from you in a few weeks. Did you know I was getting concerned? Not an everyday occurence with me."

_If he keeps this up, I'm going to smack him. I don't care if we're mates; no one treats me like that. _"Whatever. I'm alive and breathing, so you can go back to whatever you're doing."

"Not so fast, little girl. Word on the street is someone's looking for vengeance against the werewolves. Don't let anyone in unless it's me or your mother. And only us. I can't have you getting hurt, all right?"

"Okay, okay. Yeesh. Let me get some sleep, will ya?"

He chuckled. "Fine. Good night, my queen."

_Stupid sexy werewolf..._"Good night, Gabriel." She hung up and turned to head back to her room. "Damn him..."

Quietly, away from Vivian's earshot, a small giggle sounded near the road.


	3. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Thanks for continuing to read my story! This chapter sorta fills in for any people who are confused about some Buffyverse things. Twilight and FF9 won't be coming in for a while, so hang in there, Twilighters and FF fans!

Basically, Sunnydale, where Buffy was based, is gone. It blew up because the First Evil and the Scoobies had a big blow-out. Spike gave his life in order to kill all the pure vampires (really ugly sonsofbitches), and so the others were saved. LA was also an evil spawning ground, which is how Angel and his gang rose to fame. On the series finale, LA became a demon warzone, and the remainder of the Fang Gang fought them off (in my story). However, the Circle of the Black Thorn and the Shanshu prophecy...**I ain't explaining them**. :D Look them up. And for those who know all the Buffy/Angel crap...bear with me, please. There may be some who watched Buffy but not Angel, and vice versa.

**One**

Gabriel reached over to turn off the TV screen. "In conclusion, Stratton Mountain Resort is probably the greatest ski resort you will ever find in our lovely state of Vermont. Thanks for listening, and I hope you have a wonderful time." He bowed, and the tourists broke into applause and cheers. In small groups, they left to the ski lift, where the Four (once the Five, before Rafe was killed) waited to lead them in ski classes. The pack had moved out to Vermont a month ago, due to an exposure caused by Vivian's love for a human. They were happy now, as the move landed them an inn and ski resort in the mountains, as well as the huge surrounding forests perfect for hunting.

Vivian walked around the counter to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Nice one, Mr. Tour Guide. Your name will go down in history as the greatest tour guide ever."

"Don't be so sarcastic! It almost hurts."

"Shut up. Anyway, how about you come and help me and Esmé with the bills?"

"No, I don't think I will," he chuckled, but followed her down the hall to the meeting room. The inn was a timeless one, with white ashwood walls and floors, darker furniture set all around the place. It gave that cozy, home-away-from-home feeling one hoped to achieve out in the wilderness. Surrounding the inn was the actual mountain itself, with metaphorical mountains of snow piled everywhere. It wasn't unheard of if a worker had to stay the weekend at the inn due to blizzard-like conditions.

Ulf caught them just as they entered the room. "Oh, Vivian! I was hoping to find you before you went off somewhere! Esmé said she had finished everything, so don't worry! She said for you guys to go out and have some fun!" His bright red hair bounced as he ran back outside to the other three teen wolves.

Gabriel looked down at Vivian. "I think I'll save the alone time for tonight. How about we take the others and celebrate our one-month anniversary?" he asked, sarcasm in his tone.

She laughed. "Let me go see if I can catch those clowns before they hit on some poor Catholic schoolgirl or something."

* * *

Grumbling, Angel sat down on the nearest barstool, trying to listen to what the announcers were saying about the hockey game. The LA Kings were up by one, but one of the forwards was currently out thanks to a small debacle breaking out on the ice. Why Renee had insisted on meeting him in Vermont escaped his mind. It had been a year since the last apocalypse in LA, where most of hell had risen to try and take him down. Luck was on his side that night, and he, along with a near-death Gunn, Spike, and Illyria, took them down one by one.

He was miffed that Spike had been the one to talk with Renee, but he was still anxious to see her after a half-century of no contact. Ever since Spike had arrived (materialized, more accurately) at Wolfram and Hart after burning to death in Sunnydale, he was hoping that another reunion would happen between he and Renee. He wanted her to meet his son, who was a miracle and a half, and who would also appreciate another person his father called a friend.

Spike and he had some...issues. They weren't exactly best buddies; in fact, thanks to a certain blonde Slayer, they were bitter archrivals in almost anything. The only reason Spike was sticking around at Wolfram and Hart was because Buffy would be in total shock about his resurrection. So now, there were two champions, two (technically, three) vampires with souls wandering around the world. Time and time again, Angel used the blank templates in the mystical archives department, reading the Shanshu prophecy to see if it ever gave away any hints on who would become "a real boy," as Spike blatantly put it. Renee wasn't exactly trying to redeem herself as hard as they were, so she wasn't qualified, thus leaving the two male vampires as contenders.

Charles Gunn, once a street-wise drop-out with a good punching arm, was now an attorney for the office. He had solved numerous cases involving both mystical and nonmystical clients. However, he was still a nice guy at heart, and sometimes reprised his role as muscle if Angel ever needed him in battle. Lorne the lovable demon had skipped town, after telling Angel that fighting demons wasn't his "thing" anymore, but after fulfilling his mission and taking out a part of the Circle of the Black Thorn.

Winifred Burkle, the adorable Texan physicist, was gone. Her body had been taken over by Illyria, an blue ex-demon queen who wasn't exactly fun and adorable, like her previous vessel. She was very battle-centric, one of the only Old Ones (ancient demons), spoke in an almost threatening tone and cared about none. She did regard Spike as a pet, so it was possible she cared for him a little. She did not like the human world at all, often comparing it to other worlds she visited and/or conquered. Most of her powers had been destroyed by one of Wesley's little invention, but she still had the power to change her appearance.

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce had died fighting the good fight. He attempted to kill Cyrus Vail, also of the Circle, but was mortally wounded in the process. Illyria found him, and in his dying breaths, Wesley asked her to "lie" for him, so she took on the form of Fred and held him until he died. Filled with unknown (to her, at least) grief and outrage, she changed back into her regular form and took revenge on Vail, shattering his skull. Only one remained of the original Fang Gang, but to Angel, his few comrades were enough.

Spike woke him from his flashbacks of that night in LA. "Angel, the hockey game."

"Oh. Hey! Damn!" Angel banged his fist on the counter. "Stupid Kings..."

Illyria put down the peanut bowl she was examining. "What is this mundane sport those weaklings are playing?"

"Ice hockey," said Gunn. "One of the great sports that allow dirty and cheap shots."

"How is this hocky played?"

"Easy. You skate around around, hit the puck into the net and try to not start fights."

"Why can't they fight? If a foul trick is played, then the victim should be allowed to eviscerate the accuser."

"Ouch." Gunn winced. "I'd hate to play anything that involves close contact against you."

Angel shook his head as Spike downed his eighth beer. "Sooner or later, the bartender's going to think you're invincible and immune to beers and throw you out. Slow down on alcohol consumption."

"Only you would say that," he muttered, ignoring his warning and slamming the now empty tankard down. "Another beer, mate. We're vampires, Angel. We can't get drunk, and I love alcohol, so shove it. I do miss getting drunk, though. Ah, them good old days..." He winked at a group of girls sitting down at the table behind them. "The ladies would hate it if you denied me my drinks."

"I'm willing to bet the ladies don't-OH COME ON, REF!" he shouted.

A shivering chill settled inside as the door opened. "You're watching hockey?" came a confused female voice.

Angel was still staring at the TV. "Yeah, and my team's losing."

Spike twirled around in his seat. "Hello, love. It's wonderful to see you again."

Now Angel tore his gaze from the TV. "Renee!"

"Hello, yourself," she mused. Her light auburn hair, thick and straight, was tied loosely on her back (what I call the Dagger look; see FF9). Her hazel eyes flickered over the area, taking in everyone at the bar. She wore a black cashmere sweater with a pair of dark blue jeans and black winter boots. She was clutching a manilla folder and wore the most dazzling smile any of the patrons had seen. "Angel, Spike. It's been far too long. It's wonderful to see you guys again."

Angel rose from his stool. "It's...great to see you, too." He gave her a brief hug before Spike embraced her. "Don't smother her to death," he mumbled, sitting back down.

Spike let go of Renee, and Gunn held out his hand. "Charles Gunn-"

"Attorney at law," she finished. "I've heard of you. You handle your cases as if they were childish games. Excellent. I was hoping I'd get to meet you." She nodded at Illyria. "And you are...?"

The blue demon stared at her coldly. "I am Illyria, god of a thousand worlds. Do you know what you were when I was in power? Muck that continually lapped at my feet, as low as humans themselves. We called you the ooze that eats itself." She tilted her head. "However, at night, you were pretty. You sparkled like diamonds."

Renee blinked. "Well, that never really went away, just changed from night to day."

"Are you mocking me?"

"No," she replied slowly, "I'm just correcting an error. Never would I mock a fellow god."

Angel laughed quietly. "You, a god?"

Her eyes flared. "There was a time when I believed I was." She cut off, swiftly turning her head to the doorway. "We have company. Mystical ones. In the meantime, why don't you order me a Seabreeze? I'm feeling a song coming on soon, and I intend to fix that." She smiled up at Angel. "So, CEO of the devil's newest branch? Very nice. How's that working out for you?"

He shrugged. "Fine. Some kinks and, er, disadvantages-"

"Like the Scoobies cutting off all communication," Spike muttered.

"But other than that, good." The bartender handed him a scotch neat. "Nothing big happening in our end of the world."

Spike grinned. "Bollocks. He was turned into a wee, little puppet man," he said to Renee.

"Spike!" Angel growled.

He ignored him. "And he found out recently that he can shag without losing his soul."

"Spike!"

"You lied," Renee grinned. "You **have** been busy."

--

Compared to all the other bars around town, Fatso's Sports Bar was really nice. Out front was a few tables for the restaurant part of the place, and a few motorcycle spaces for the occasional biker. Tonight, they would be a getting quite a few "occasional bikers." Gabriel silenced his black Harley, and Vivian climbed off it. The other members of the pack chatted as they parked their bikes and cars. She looked over at their playful bickering and smiled. _I love this pack. They can be so entertaining somtimes._

Gabriel froze in the act of getting off his bike. Vivian watched as he sniffed the air once. Twice. Three times. "That scent..." he whispered. "It's so...familiar. I've smelled this before, but where?"

"Hey, Gabe? Everything okay?" Bucky called, grinning. "Pick up the scent of a hot mamacita?"

Still wary, he shook his head. "No. Everything's fine. Let's eat and get some drinks."

The pack whooped and hollered. Gabriel smiled once at Vivian before leading the way into the bar. _What got into him? _Vivian wondered.


	4. Chapter 2

A/N: Agh! I just now saw that I accidentally posted the first chapter twice, instead of the disclaimer. SORRY!!

Anywho, in this chapter, a lot gets explained. A LOT. Mostly about Renee and Carlisle, but a little about the whole two-different-types-o'-vamps thing AND a tiny bit of Angel's back story. So Buffy/Angel fans who are already wanting to kill me because of the recaps I had to do for the non-Buffy/Angel fans, this chapter, thankfully, skips over everything you already know. As for the Renee/Carlisle story, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY. YES, I LOVE MY MONOLOGUES. EVERY ONE OF MY STORIES HAS AT LEAST ONE IN IT. Enjoy!

**Two**

Upon entering the bar, Vivian realized they were not alone. A small group of college girls were gathered in the center, and a few bachelors were sitting against the wall, staring up at the basketball game on ESPN. Around the bar, several people were talking to one another. One of the bar mongers turned around, a wide smirk on his face. His peroxide white hair and pale skin were the only things on his body that weren't black. Everything else was: his leather duster, his boots, his jeans, and his T-shirt. "Well, well. More bar patrons. Right. I think we should bunch up and make some room."

Magda and Renata giggled.

One of the two girls also turned. Her bright eyes immediately caught Bucky's attention. "Whoo-wee, girl! Those ain't contacts, I hope."

She smiled, dazzling the pack for a moment. "No, they're not. They're the real deal. Can I say the same about those biceps?"

"100 percent real."

"Awesome." She looked over at the others. "So? Whole family's here?"

Peroxide-English guy spoke up. "How cute. They all drink together."

The woman with dyed hair (_and blue skin, _thought Vivian) glared up at him wordlessly.

One of the other men, a younger African-American, checked his watch. "Oops. Got a nine-thirty flight to catch. See you guys later."He fized his tie on his Armani suit and stood up, only stopping beside Bucky. "I wouldn't ask for her number, if I was you," he whispered. Bucky appeared to deflate quite literally.

The only other guy glanced back up at the TV. "No more hockey?" he asked the bartender.

He shook his head. "Kings lost."

"DAMMIT!!" He banged his fist on the counter. "Oh, well." He stared at the pack. "Did you guys want drinks or not?"

Both of the women turned to stare at him. "Your team loses," the brunette wondered aloud, "and you buy the house a round of drinks? I should seriously start hitting some clubs with you, Angelcakes."

"Lorne used to call me that," he murmured.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing." He moved his seat, so that the newcomers would be able to gather around the counter. "You guys look like some good locals. Anything interesting in the area?"

Magda giggled louder as Peroxide moved his stool closer to her. "Any ski resorts? High-end places? English attractions?"

Her husband scowled at him. "Give us some names," Bucky edged, "and we'll tell you all about Vermont and its beautiful qualities."

Peroxide raised his glass. "Spike. That there's Illyria, but don't bother talking to her. Your self-esteem will just sink lower than you can possibly imagine."

Tall-Dark-and-Handsome nodded. "Angel."

The woman who caught Bucky's eye smiled. "Renee."

Gabriel slightly turned his head to the side, and Vivian noticed his eyes were wider than normal. "Is that your name? Pretty. Name's Gabriel."

"Bucky!"

"I'm Magda."

"Hello, my name is Renata."

"Rolf."

"Raul..."

"Hi. Vivian."

Renee smiled warmly at her. "You've got some guts, coming with a bunch of older folk to the bar." She dropped what looked like a roll of hundred-dollar bills on the counter. "Bartend. Ignore my young friend's age, and that'll be your tip." She looked back at Vivian. "So, care to tell me how busy you are running a pack?"

The entire counter went quiet, attracting some looks from the girls and the stragglers. Gabriel cleared his throat. "I'm not sure what you're talking about," Vivian laughed nervously.

"You heard me." Renee's eyes widened. "How busy are you...running a pack? Want me to write it down for you?"

Angel squeezed his eyes shut. Spike chuckled. "You better answer her, or risk an explosion of European-ness."

Gabriel answered for Vivian. "It's quite hard, leading the pack. You have to make all the right desicions for everyone, and consider the consequences of each action. In order to be a leader, you have to understand what's best for the entire pack, not what you think looks good for yourself."

Renee spared him one glare before looking at Vivian. "You're head bitch, correct? Why so young? Couldn't wait to get a taste of that sweet nectar I call older men?"

"Renee," Angel warned.

"Or was it the power listed in the job? Getting to make all the laws, all the rules?"

"That's enough."

She sighed. "Fine. For once, I'll actually listen to you." Her eyes went back to Gabriel. "Have we met before?"

His eyes narrowing ever so slightly, Gabriel shook his head. "I would recall meeting you. You sure leave a mark in the memory bank."

"Hm. Somehow, you look and sound so familiar..." Renee inhaled deeply. "And that **scent. **Reminds me of...something, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Oh, well." She handed Angel the manilla folder by her side. "Take this back to the hotel with you, and read everything carefully. I do mean **carefully." **She smiled once at the pack before taking her leave.

Illyria stared after her before turning back to Spike. "I grow weary of this place. It reeks of humanity at its worst, and the stench is overbearing. I wish to return to the palace and continue my training with you. Perhaps we can start using the clipboard as a weapon. What say you?" Her eyes seemed to pierce right through him.

Spike shrugged and set down his glass. "See ya in the morning, General Grumpypants." He let Illyria lead them outside.

Angel rose from his barstool. "Drinking alone is a bad sign. I think I'll turn in as well. Your drinks are all paid for-at least the first round. Good evening." Throwing his coat on, he left without another glance in their direction.

"That wasn't awkward," Bucky said. "Damn that I didn't get Renee's number..."

Vivian stared out the window to watch Angel get in his black Viper. "They seem so weird, you know? Knowing what we are and stuff. But...they kinda looked out of the ordinary. I've never seen any as beautiful as that Renee girl. And did you see their skin color? Besides Gunn, they all have that chalk tone. As if they've never heard of a tan before."

The bartender chuckled. "Of course they don't tan. What vampire does?"

Once again, the bar went silent. This time, the girls stood up quietly and left with expressions ranging from confused to freaked-out. "Vampires?" Rolf repeated. "Those guys were all...vampires?" The stragglers departed with perplexed faces, as well.

"Yep." He continued to clean a glass. "Couldn't you tell? I mean, you're werewolves. Can't you guys smell them or something?"

"I had no idea there were such things as vampires," Renata whispered. "I thought that werewolves were the only creatures of the night."

Sighing, the bartender set down his glass and cloth. "You all better sit down for this one. It's quite a long story, so here's a couple of beers for you. Get ready for a tale of woe that may confuse you more than the discovery of vampires."

* * *

"Around the time when Jamestown was beginning to prosper, a woman with no known name fell ill with syphilis. In her dying moments, a priest came to her bedside. In her dazed disposition, she clearly rememebered not calling for a holy man. She was right. It was no priest, but the Master, a vampire whose reign lasted well over a thousand years before. He could sense that the woman would make a terrific creature, and so sired her and stole her from her death bed. He named her Darla. Darla was a visicious creature, irrestible to men who were doomed to a silent death the moment they laid eyes on her. The Master had been right about her; her ferocity was matched by none, with one painful exception.

"In the late 1700s, she came across an Irish drunk, who wasted away his life on alcohol and women. Experiencing the same feeling the Master had for her, she sired him in an alleyway, not knowing that her darling boy would soon become the single most infamous vampire of all time: Angelus, 'the face of an angel.' He and Darla terrorized Europe, killing thousands upon thousands of men, women, and children, sparing no mercy for anyone human. Angelus was the single most dreaded nightmare of the European countries.

"There are two kinds of vampires in this world: ones connected to the Master, the others connected to the Volturi, the self-proclaimed royal family of their kind. Vampires who fit the stereotypical description: fangs, pale-skinned, immortal blood-drinkers who could die very easily either by stake, by fire, or by sunlight-they were ones sired by people who were connected to the Master. He sired Darla, who in turn sired Angel, and so on. The others, they were different: much more invincible, no fangs, granite-like skin, and speed and strength of incrediible proportions. Their beauty was unchallenged by any other being, and they could come out in the daylight, but they would still attract attention, for their skin would sparkle as if millions of diamonds were set into the surface. They, however, had much more trouble with the bloodlust than the others.

"Long before Angelus had been sired, there was a man in Great Britain, in London. His father was well-known for his hunts of vampires and witches, often killing numerous innocents in the process. His son was much wiser, and actually came across a coven of vampires. Carlisle Cullen. One of the only known vampires to refuse drinking the blood of humans. He was accidentally turned when a vampire attacked him during a hunt. For years, he resisted what was pure nature for someone like him. As the years went by, he became lonely, and longed for another person to faithfully stay at his side.

"40 years after his rebirth, he swam across the channel to France. While he was studying medicine in Paris, he found the local opera house quite an entertainment. His days spent behind books, he chose to pass away the sleepless nights by attending the opera house every week. Most of the performances were done in French by seasoned tenors and sopranos. He rather enjoyed them, and was able to understand them without ever needing a language lesson. The operas sung in English were the ones that truly caught his attention.

"One week, a prima donna known for her outrageous voice grew terribly ill and was forced to step out of her role. The opera house was frantic. Who could possibly replace such a star? One chorus girl: Alessa Monticello. She had been singing since she was a little girl, but only when she was taught by her father did people begin to hear her angelic voice. Alessa became an instant hit. Her soft voice-so very different from the loud, almost obnoxious high soprano voice-enthralled the audience and had them begging for more. Since the prima donna never fully recovered from her illness, she was glad to give up her role to Miss Monticello.

"Carlisle was up in the balcony the day he first laid eyes on Alessa. When he saw her...it was as if nothing else mattered but her and her voice. He attended the opera house daily, hoping to meet this wonderful angel. Finally, five years after he first saw her, he got his wish. She was ordered to clean up the stage one night as a punishment for losing her balance in the third act, causing another girl to fall into the orchestra loft below the stage. He waited until everyone had left for the day, before heading down to the stage to speak with her.

"Alessa was shy at first, not at all used to speaking with a man of such beauty. He told her he was from Britain, and she in turn confessed her love for that country. Although she had just turned 21 and could live on her own, her father had taken her all over Europe in hopes for her stardom to shine. She herself was from London, too, but was raised away from her country in Paris, with her estranged mother and older sister still back in Great Britain. She hoped to see her mother again one day, but for now she was content with the opera way of life.

"He began to court her, bringing her flowers every night after a hardworking performance. Even when she was just another person in the background, his attention never swerved from her. He would watch her dance, single out her voice when they all sang, and bathe in its glory and splendor when she sang by herself. He fell in love with her, but one thing barred him from admitting his true feelings: he was a creature of the night.

"She soon found out his secret. One night, he needed to leave, or his hunger would put them both in danger. She was frightened and confused, afraid her dearest friend had ran into trouble. She called at his house, but he didn't answer the door. Still scared, she wandered to the lake where he took her on a boat ride once, on a cloudy day. Devoid of any human life. Alessa began to call out his name, near the water and near the forest. When no one replied, she stumbled into the trees to look for him there.

"Carlisle had heard her screaming, but was too focused on his hunt. There was a buck nearby, really big, and he was hungry. He continued to pursue the deer, until he caught it and satiated his hunger. What he wasn't expecting was for Alessa to find him. Horrified at the sight before her eyes, she ran as fast as she could to escape from him. He was ashamed, and followed her the minute he finished. She nearly fell off a cliff into the lake, but he caught her with his amazing speed and strength. 'What are you?' she asked. 'A vampire,' he told her. 'One of the many things that do go bump in the night.'"

* * *

_He held her in his arms, away from him, yet her eyes were filled with wonder. "Why are you behaving like so?" she asked softly, running her trembling fingers over his prominent cheekbones, his perfect angular nose. "You look so pale, your cheeks are flushed as if from excitement. Are...are you afraid that I'm afraid?"_

_Carlisle kissed her roaming fingertips. "You're not afraid of me?"_

_"Why should I be? You've done nothing but care for me, protect me from harm's way. Why should I be afraid of you?"_

_It was enough for him. Smiling, he bent down to gently brush his lips across hers._

"The two consummated their relationship that night, each as giving as the other. Carlisle did have to be careful with the way he handle her. Human beings are so fragile; one wrong move, and the slightest twitch could break through the skin. Alessa did not like staying away from him for longer than a few hours. He couldn't stand trying to keep away from her. His greatest secret was known by a living being, and so he had nothing to hide from her. The lonliness had somewhat dissolved, but was still there, on the borders of his mind and heart. He decided that Alessa should be the one to rescue him from the awaiting centuries of solitude.

"Since they couldn't get married, what with technology not as sophisticated as today, he simply gave her his mother's ring that bore the crest of the Cullen family. (**A/N**: I hate doing this in the middle of the story, but this was added due to the movie with the crest. Adds to the turmoil) She wore it on a silver chain, which told other that her heart belonged to Carlisle. After he gave her his family's ring, he changed her, and everything about her...became intensified: her voice became heavenly, no longer a soft noise in the background; her skin hardened, becoming the granite I spoke of earlier; her dexterity, speed and strength were multiplied tenfold; she now had the same inhumanly beauty Carlisle had; but her eyes stayed the same, hazel and bright, whereas Carlisle's had changed into a soft golden ocher.

"They remained together for nearly two centuries time, a match made in Heaven. She continued to study the musical arts while he continued his medicinal career. On the outside, everyone believed they had known each other since childhood, the way they always seemed to know what the other was thinking. Alessa had developed a strange gift: not only was she able to read minds, she could silently communicate with Carlisle, through their mental network. Hunting become another indulgence to them, for it meant more time spent together. All was well...for a time.

"In the 1860s, Carlisle wanted to travel to Italy to learn more about being a doctor, so they moved all their belongings to Volterra. It was a beautiful city surrounded by walls and towers, giving the feel of a medieval era time. The Volturi-Aro, Caius, and Marcus-lived in the city, and were curious about the two strangers that had walked into their walls. Carlisle, too, was interested in these vampires who lived differently from the wraiths in London. There was something he didn't particularly like: their diet. Strictly human blood. They were amazed by Alessa's unique power and tried to offer her a place with them, along with Carlisle. They both politely declined.

"Angelus and his cronies happened upon Volterra by accident. Katherine, Alessa's sister, had already been sired by an unknown vampire, and she was looking for her younger sibling. She caught her scent and led them to Volterra. Of course, Alessa didn't resemble the vampires they had come to be familiar with, but Kate didn't care. She stole Alessa away while Carlisle was visiting Aro and the others, and introduced her to human blood. She was instantly under its spell, and nearly salivated for more. Carlisle was heartbroken when he came home to an empty house. Alessa had broken the ban on human flesh. She had fled Volterra, shielding her mind from Demitri, who would find her in an instant. Angelus and the others caught up with her, and she began her reign as one of the most atrocious monsters to walk on European soil.

"Thirty years went by, and Alessa, now Renee, made no effort to contact Carlisle. She and Angelus had a somewhat-relationship going on, and he forbade her to see the 'filthy coward.' That didn't stop him from finding her. They ran into each other outside of Venice, and despite everything that had happened between them, once again they found themselves in each others' arms. Carlisle assured her he still loved her, and would do anything for her is she gave up that lifestyle. Before Renee could reply, Alec and Jane, two vampires sent by the Volturi came across them. A battle broke out, and Renee had no choice but to flee with Angelus and the others.

"It was that night the gypsy girl wandered into their midst.

"Angelus fed from her, and her family sought vengeance. A few nights later, he and Renee wandered into their camp, and the gypsies took the opportunity to curse Angelus with his soul and force him to feel the pain of knowing he killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Renee tried to stop them and in the process she too was cursed with humanity. Both of them fled Romania, Angelus seeking out Darla, and Renee returning to Italy for Carlisle. He welcomed her back with open arms and hid her from the Volturi, who still had a bounty over her head. Angelus wasn't so lucky; Darla could sense his new soul, and she shunned him in disgust.

"Carlisle wanted to practice medicine in the New World, and Renee wasn't sure she could stay away from France and England for so long, so she bid him a tearful farewell and promised him that never again would she put him through the agony of not knowing where she was, or if she was even alive. Renee stayed in Paris, but she could no longer perform in fron of audiences under her true name. Alessa Monticello should have died decades ago, and Renee Monticello, her 'granddaughter,' would continue on her grandmother's legacy. She bought the opera house from its current managers, and still owns it today.

"Angelus became known as Angel, and his title of champion began in a small California town called Sunnydale..."

-one hour later...(I am **not** covering Sunnydale and LA, it would turn this chapter into its own novel...)-

"So now Angel runs the Los Angeles branch of Wolfram and Hart, the law offices he fought against for almost four years. His comrades have remained by his side loyally, and I'm sure he couldn't be happier. Buffy and her gang are currently somewhere in Europe, but their exact location is unknown. Renee has been running Wolfram et Hart Paris since the 1950s, and she's stayed there since the day Carlisle left for these United States. To make sure he would move on with his life, Renee made an agreement with the Volturi: she would help them out with legal matters and tax papers, and they in turn would replace the memories of Renee with different ones, allowing him freedom. And that," he concluded, "is all I can tell you."

Vivian stared at him dumbstruck. Renata and Rolf exchanged looks of mixed wonder and sorrow for the things they heard. Magda shook her head and Raul wiped away her tears. Bucky let out a low whistle. Gabriel was the only one that spoke. "Thank you for that...tale. I'm afraid we must be going now. Here's a tip for your wasted breath." He slid him a twenty and a ten.

The bartender shook his head, smiling sadly. "There's something about you guys. I can feel it. You'll be running into Renee again after tonight. It's better if you know a little something about her."

"A little something?" Vivian mouthed.

"Thank you." Everyone took Gabriel's hint and exited out to the parking lot.

The bartender watched them leave before reaching under the counter for his cell phone. Still keeping his eyes on the departing motorcycle, he punched in a few numbers and waited. "Jace. Todd here. Had a few werewolves in today. You said his last name was Walker? Very well. I'll be in contact after a little research. Tell her I've got him, and she can take care of him whenever she feels like it. As for them, make sure they don't find out. Otherwise, both of our asses will be on the line."


	5. Chapter 3

**A/N**: The previous chapter...once again, I apologize for the huge soap-box moment. It had to be said; I hate revealing such details in small quantities, because if I forget something important it takes me **forever** to find it again. So you can think of the last chapter as a reference one. So, now my story really begins, and the conflict is introduced with a subtle innuendo. Please review (for I love 'em) and tell me what you think. Gotta love some nice criticism. Enjoy!

**Three**

Angel leaned back in the comfy recliner, sighing. The manilla folder lay on the coffee table in front of him, and a few papers were scattered. The most vital one was still in his hands. His mind was almost refusing to believe what he had just read, so with another sigh, he pulled it up to his eyes and read.

**"Angel, by the time you read this, we have already encountered the werewolves in the bar. Earlier this week, I received a message from a spy saying that my sister has been dead for a few years. There was no other information about her death, just the fact that a loup garou seemed to have caused it. She was human, and why someone wanted to kill her...it makes no sense. However, on my way here, I had another vision. You remember the incident that caused their awakening? Because of that time in St. Petersburg, the Powers That Be saw fit to make my existence more compicated even with the abilities I already had...Sorry, a small tantrum there. I saw the bar we sat in, and our wonderful guests. **

**"He was there, Angel. The one that murdered my sister in cold blood. The only thing I could make out from the mass chaos in my mind was a last name: Walker. I believe it's the pack leader, whoever he is. Promise me something: promise to help me take him down. Not in a fatal way, but to uncover the reason behind the killing, and make him suffer how I have. He killed my older sister, and he must pay. There was more in my vision, but it's not important. Put your team on this-I assume they still have some detective skills-and find out everything you can about the pack. I'll see you tomorrow on the plane back to L.A. I didn't come all the way here just to say hello; I'll expect my own suite and a vacant office for me to work in at W and H for a few short weeks. Till then, Renee."**

He closed his eyes. How could Gabriel, the pack leader of such a nice group of werewolves, be a murderer? It just didn't make sense! He seemed like a really cool guy who just wanted to make things easier for his pack, his family. How could someone like that kill a human being with no motive? How?

His cell phone's shrill ring interrupted his pondering. He glanced at the number before answering. "Spike."

"You sound so bright and chipper. Got some news for you."

"This had better be good..."

"Believe me, it is. Remember how the creepy Italian fang kings put that small spell on Carsy Boy's memory?"

"Yes...and?"

"Well, it looks like it's starting to fade. His family is on his way here, by his request, to find out about this 'girl.' He only knows her name and what she looks like, but nothing else. Think we should tell her?"

Angel stared at the letter in his hands again. "No. But see what you can find on the Cullen family. Is Illyria doing okay?"

Spike chuckled darkly. "She's discovered the joys of spoons and how fun stabbing me with a dull object can be."

"Don't make a mess in that room, or we won't get the deposit back."

--

Isabella Swan looked out of the airplane window, watching as the snow began to fall harder. Vermont was a beautiful state in the summer, cool and always with a nice breeze. In the fall, the leaves changed colors, going from green to red to yellow, and it was a sight to see. However, in the winter, it was brutal. There was usually a great chance of getting stuck in a blizzard, which wasn't at all appealing to Bella. But, as long as Edward stayed by her side, she looked on the bright side of things. The Cullens were her second family, and she loved them with all her heart. They were, her self-dubbed, good vampires, ones that didn't drink human blood, but instead chose to drink animals' blood.

On Carlisle's orders, she, Edward, Alice and Jasper were to travel to Vermont and find some woman he was remembering. He couldn't remember why, but he somehow sensed she was an important person in is life, and wanted to know more. They were to locate her based on his vague description of her looks: tall, around 5'8", brown hair, green eyes, and a silver chain. He also remembered a name: Alessa. _Thank God this person isn't a vampire. By the sound of it, she could be some human he operated on recently. _She stared at her true love, who was staring out the window as well, smiling once when he looked back at her. _Or maybe she's like me..._

Alice startled all the passengers by gasping. Jasper turned to her, his expression one of concern. "Alice? What's wrong?" he asked, too low for anyone else besides them to hear.

Edward raised his eyebrows. "That **is** impressive, how quick they found out," he murmured.

Jasper glared at him. "Edward, tell me. What did Alice see?"

"Alessa's friends know we're coming," she whispered. "And from the look of things, they're apprehensive about our visit. I'm almost positive they're vampires. They look too...handsome not be. Yet they seem so...different from us. Not as pale, and the eye color..." She glanced out the window. "They don't sound like they're enemies. Just interested in what we want with her."

Bella's jaw dropped. "So they know we're coming? What if you're seeing it wrong? What if they **are **evil?" Her whisper came out as a squeak.

Edward grinned, rubbing her arm soothingly. "Bella, love, nothing will happen. I've seen the same things she has. There's nothing to worry about. Nothing."

--

Renee drummed her fingers on the lobby desk, waiting for the consierge to return with new bath towels. He had given her the once-over (in other words, discreetly checked her out) before disappearing into the large laundry room to personally retrieve her towels. She could only smile as the poor guy practically yelled at the staff to get him some new, fluffy towels for "the most gorgeous person he'd ever seen." As she waited, she turned to people-watch, while actually on the lookout for her guest to arrive.

--

The inn had gradually emptied, and Esmé had told Vivian she would be out late with Tomas again. Now only she and Gabriel stayed, and as the clock ticked off the hour, she was becoming frightened of her lover's behavior. Vivian stared as Gabriel paced the living room, torn between two choices. "Gabe, what's wrong? You can tell me."

"No, I can't," he said curtly. "You wouldn't understand."

"**Try me.**"

"Fine," he snapped, and sat in the armchair across from her. "I already told you most of it. Do you recall what I told you about the human girl I killed?"

She slowly nodded.

"Her name was Katherine. Small, blonde and stunning, she said she inherited her looks from her mother. When I met her sister, that theory made me wonder if she was lying. We talked briefly. Her name was Renee and she had lived in France most of her life, yet she retained her English accent. She looked nothing like her older sibling. While Kate had round blue eyes, Renee had dark eyes. Kate had fair hair, while Renee's was almost black. Kate was tiny compared to me, but her sister was at least five inches taller, closer to my height. Kate seemed to have this childlike innocence about her, whereas Renee looked almost intimidating, ready to pounce on anyone who dared to anger her. Kate kept her eyes down and was shy, while her sister met you head-on, face-to-face and with an air of confidence I had never felt before." He grimaced. "If I wasn't so in love with Katherine, I may have fallen for her sister."

Vivian waited patiently until his passion had died down before responding. "Gabriel, the woman we met can't be the same person. Her eyes are bright, her hair's a light brown. She just can't be the same. She didn't come off as tough, but as simply curious. A little insensitive, but curious all the same."

Laughing, Gabriel shook his head. "And here I thought you were smart as a whip. Kate's sister and the girl we met tonight have the same scent, almost like..." He pause momentarily. "Almost like strawberries, but much stronger. There's no mistaking that scent. She's Kate's sister, and I suspect she's in Vermont for one reason: she knows. She knows I killed her sister."

"Gabe, there's just no way..."

He snatched up his leather jacket. "I need some air. Get some sleep, okay? I'll see you in the morning." Without another glance at her, Gabriel strode out of the room.

--

_He's not coming, the bastard._

Renee was vaguely aware of someone speaking to her as she continued to stare at the hotel entrance. "Excuse me, miss..." The young consierge had returned, holding several white fluffy towels. "These are fresh and warm out of the dryer." He handed them to her, a smirk on his face. "I made sure you got the best ones."

_How sweet. _"Thank you," she replied, throwing her famous smile. "That was extremely kind of you." She placed a hundred dollar bill on the counter. "A token of my appreciation." She couldn't help but softly giggle when he blushed crimson and bowed. Still smiling, she headed for the gold elevators when she heard her name called out.

"Renee." Gabriel leaned against a white pillar, amidst a flurry of new arrivals from Texas, or so claimed their proud T-shirts.

"Gabriel." She inclined her head. "I was about to head to my room for a nice cup of espresso. Care to join me?"

He glanced over at the employee behind the counter, who stood frozen with a scowl on his face and was mouthing the words, "So she has a boyfriend," and chuckled. "Sure. Why not?"

--

Laying in his bed for the night, Angel gazed out at the dark mountains surrounding his hotel. Vermont was beautiful at night, and he loved the feel of winter it gave him. He wasn't the type who looked forward to Christmas Eve spent in front of a roaring fire (_Wow, it's two weeks away, _he thought randomly) or the sort of person to put on some ice skates and have a go around a local rink. No, he was the type who locked himself away in a dark, depressing room and brooded. _Not this year, _he promised silently. _This year, I have a son who's away at college and a few friends who need some admiration and praise for the work they do at the office. Plus one of my oldest friends is in town and she could use a gift or two to cheer her up...boom, boom, boom, boom..._BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

Someone was knocking loudly on his door. "Hey! Chairman of the Boring! WAKE UP!!"

"Spike..." he growled.

"WAKE UP! You can't be asleep!" BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

"Go away," he groaned. _Please, please, go away and leave me with sweet dreams of Ren-_

With a loud bang, the door crashed into the wall, leaving a nasty hole. Illyria surveyed her work. "This door will need replacing," she commented. "And the wall." She looked around the black room, and her eyes zeroed in on Angel's form under the covers. "You. Get up, now. The foreigners have arrived, and they will be up here soon." Her head tilted to the side. "Perhaps we should speak with them."

"And blow our cover?" Spike scoffed. "Come on, Mr. Champion. Get your sodden tail out of bed."

Angel grumbled before kicking the sheets off.


	6. Chapter 4

**A/N: **The story is finally getting on track after lots of catching up for people. (Namely for my friend Midori, **whom I love to death, **but her memory's just like mine...XD Sorry, G.) The main conflict is revealed, several smaller conflicts are brought in, and a lot more name-calling for Angel (since Spike usually calls him nicknames when they're arguing, only saying his name once or twice...cavemen v. astronauts, anyone?). A few funny nicknames from Angel and one from another popular series...brownie points if you catch the reference. The B and C characters will probably be left out a lot after...agh, you'll find out soon enough! Enjoy, and REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!

And if you want a good visual of the characters, I listed them in my profile.

**Four**

Gabriel walked behind Renee as she lead the way to her hotel room. "So," he began. "Why did I have the feeling you'd want to meet with me sometime, somewhere soon?"

She cocked her head to smirk at him. "Why did you come here?" she shot back.

"To get that conversation out of the way." She smiled wider at his innocent tone, and slid her keycard into its slot before opening the door. Her room was nice and huge, but it still couldn't belong anywhere but a hotel. The curtains were made of the same material as the bedspread and the pillows, and the furniture all matched, as well. "Shall we sit at the dining table and speak..." He gestured to the bedroom. "Or should we just get the angry sex out of the way?"

Now she laughed aloud. "I brought you here to speak, not to have an affair with you. Sit." He took a seat in one of the white wicker chairs while she sat across from him. "You know exactly what you're doing here, correct?"

Gabriel nodded. "You want to know if I killed your sister."

"That answers my first question. Onto the second. Why?"

"I didn't mean to kill her," he sighed. "I loved her, but...I guess my temper got the better of me."

"Your temper." Renee's playful demeanor had vanished, replaced by a cold one.

"You of all people should know that a supernatural being has heightened senses. Well, whenever we were in bed, I'd changed just the tiniest bit, because it gave me much more pleasure."

"And one day you changed entirely and scared her shitless."

"In other words, yes. She was in horror of the creature I was, and called me a filthy beast, so...I hit her. Across the head."

"The neck was snapped," she said quietly.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just something I read in the coroner's office." Renee leaned back in her chair. "I'm surprised that the police let you off so easily. Now that her death's taken care of, there's something else that should be brought to your attention."

He narrowed his eyes. "Which would be what?"

"As you can probably tell, I tend to go all out with the vengeance. Katherine was young, and no one should have to die the way she did. Her death must be justified. Here's the dilemma: my employees in France have begun to disappear without notice. One day they're at work, the next they're not. A few days later, some turn up dead in trashcans, others have been sired and created into hell warriors. The latest one to disappear was given the title of general in one of the hell dimensions. Apparently a new power is rising underneath us, and it must be stopped. In fear of my sister's body being a target, the matter now concerns me personally. I will need skilled fighters and strategists to fight alongside me in the coming warzone we like to call Earth. Angel and his friends will no doubt help me, but I need more people than that. Thus, I turn to you." She folded her hands under her chin and rested her elbows on the table. "I wanted you to suffer for my sister's murder. Death was out of the question, in regards to my soul, and torture takes too little time.

"My proposition: fight with me, fight for me...and it will serve as payment. Come with us to Los Angeles, where we will prepare to battle the forces of evil. As long as you agree, I see no reason to make you suffer. If you agree, the flight leaves at nine tomorrow morning. Get some sleep and board the plane. A car will be waiting for you at LAX to take you to Wolfram and Hart. There, you will have a suite to stay in and a place to start planning out attack on hell." Once again, she leaned back and waited for his response.

Gabriel scratched his chin, a small frown on his face. "You want me...to fight for you? Just up and leave my pack hanging, with no explaination to give them, and **fight for you**?"

"Yes. I have no other choice. I can sense how strong you are, and how you love a fight. There's no other option but to leave immediately if we want a fighting chance." As he still considered in silence, her coldness evaporated and a smile stretched across her face. "In the meantime, would you like some of that espresso I talked about? My own creation."

"Sure, sure," he murmured distractedly. "Make it strong, and straight. No sugar or anything in it."

"Coming right up." She turned to the spacious kitchen and poured some water into the coffe maker before grabbing the grounds.

"Hey, explain something to me," he called, still in consideration. "Your hair used to be dark, almost black. Did you dye it or something recently?"

"Hmm?" she asked. "Oh, that." She giggled. "I'm shocked that you remember. No, it's another one of my little powers. Kept me physically hidden from the Volturi for years." She scrunched up her nose, and from her roots, a dark brown color traveled to her ends. Her hazel eyes faded, replaced by black irises. "This is naturally what I'm supposed to look like. The light brown and hazel combo is purely something I rather enjoy. It is odd how my sister and I look nothing alike, and yet we're family." She nodded to the mug on the counter, and he took it. "Speaking of gorgeous eyes, yours are very...different. Tall, dark and handsome with blue eyes? I may faint."

He chuckled. "If you do, I may have to bring you back to consciousness. You're extremely entertaining to watch."

"As are you, _mon ami._"

* * *

Angel grumpily shut the door behind him, mumbling and ranting about how he needed sleep before catching the earliest flight to LA. Spike rolled his eyes and led the way back down the corridor. "You know, big guy, you look like you need an extra hour of sleep. How hard is that firm working you?"

"Shut up, Spike."

"Your fourhead is actually normal size, what with your hair hanging over it for once."

"I mean it. Shut up."

"And your clothes! I mean, has the color white ever made an appearance in your wardrobe-?"

Angel grabbed Spike by his jacket and shoved him against the wall. "When I say shut up, I mean **shut up**," he snarled. "I sleep fine, my hair's fine, and I have worn white once, but that was when a stupid goddess imitator was in favor of all the world bowing down to her, and white...it isn't exactly my color." He shook him hard. "You, on the other hand, look **fabulous** in white, so why not do us all a favor and stop PESTERING ME about my APPEARANCE!"

"Hey!" Fred (actually, Illyria looking like Fred) pushed them apart. "Stop it. We have guests waiting in the lobby, in case you two forgot." She grinned. "Now put on a smile and go greet them!"

Spike fixed his trench collar. "Big hunk of nobody cares can go speak with them, and I'll cheer for you from the sidelines."

"Need I remind you, **Captain Peroxide, **that I can and will, at anytime, send you to Rome in a matchbox."

"And why would you do that, **monkey boy**?"

"So Buffy can see how conveniently you fit into her purse, **Smurfette's pet.**"

"Culturally retarded wanker."

"Coward of the night."

"Giant black hole of boring despair."

"Terd brain."

"Selfish sod."

"Stupid, bleached jackass."

"Gourmless tit."

"Arrogant, shirty, inconsiderate butt-faced miscreant."

"'Butt-faced miscreant?!'"

"You guys, enough!" Fred cried.

"I'm sorry, 'butt-faced miscreant?!'"

"HEY!!" Renee stormed out of her room, Gabriel not too far behind her. "We are trying to work through negotiations in here, and in case you haven't noticed, I usually do the best negotiations there are in this world, and I need some quiet around here, so all of you, DEAL WITH YOUR PROBLEMS ELSEWHERE!" She stopped when she looked at Fred. "Whoa. Who's this chick?"

"It's still Illyria, she just transformed."

"So this must be Fred." She held out her hand. "Please to meet you."

Fred shook her hand. "The pleasure's all mine. Spike and Angel are too wrapped up in themselves to properly introduce someone."

"Renee, it's just-" Angel cut off, and stared at Fred as if seeing a shiny object for the first time in his life. "Impossible."

"Angel, we are not done-" He trailed off as Renee smiled.

"How extraordinary," she whispered, and reached out to pat Fred's shoulders. "A double personality in quite a literal sense. I could tell instantly that you weren't Illyria in disguise, because of the non-violent thoughts surging through your mind. A nice change, in my opinion. Having to deal with those over and over got a little tiring. How?"

Fred shrugged, grinning. "I'm not too sure. She was supposed to have destroyed my soul, but it seems she didn't, to which I have no objection. I've been going in and out of her mind, which is incredibly violent and disturbing..." Her large brown eyes and equally brown hair were so different from the ice blue that were Illyria's features. "When that last apocalypse was over, Illyria went back to get Wesley's body, and when I saw him, she allowed me to saw goodbye to him, and...turned back into me. You all simply thought that it was Illyria impersonating me and just kinda...shrugged it off, but it was me, all in the flesh and human-y goodness. We've been switching periodically, just to see if it can be done at will, and she doesn't mind me taking over at all. Over the past year, I kept getting flashes of whatever you guys were doing, thus the knowledge of the vampires downstairs. I've gotten her hooked to tacos, for which she's thankful. She really likes potato and cheese, which is a weird combination, but I can't really talk about being weird-"

Spike rushed over to grab her in a bearlike hug. "Fred," he sighed. He didn't mind when Angel came over to embrace her, too.

"Aw, how sweet of a reunion." Renee jerked her head to the elevators. "You guys didn't tell me about our visitors, when I have company, too."

It seemed as if Angel and Spike noticed Gabriel was with her. Alone. In her locked room. For God knows how many hours. Alone. "What the hell?!" Spike cried, pointing at him. "What have you two cuddlehorses been doing in there?!"

Angel stared at him. "You did not just seriously say cuddlehorses."

"As I ranted before the Fredness, we were doing an open negotiation discussion before we were so rudely interrupted by your verbal sparring match. What the devil's a...'butt-faced miscreant,' I believe it was?"

"Ah, ignore that," Spike muttered, looking embarrassed.

"You really just said cuddlehorses right now."

"Angel, drop it," Renee warned. "Who are we meeting anyway?" The hallway went quiet, since no one was willing to speak, so Renee decided it was time to read a little something-something. "Uh-huh. I see. I see. They're here. Fine." She turned to Gabriel. "Do you mind waiting in my room? We can finish our discussion after I take care of some business." Before he said anything, her face twisted and she gasped. "Out of all things, **that's **what you want?!"

Gabriel smirked wickedly before replying, "Sure." With a nod at the two surly champions, he headed back to her suite.

"So you two ARE cuddlebunnies!" Spike exclaimed.

"First horses, now bunnies. What's wrong with you?"

"No, we're not. Can you please get your mind out of the gutter? The images are frankly terrifying."

Now Angel turned his entire body to glare at Spike. "You're imagining her in bed with me?!"

"Of course I'm not. Don't be so conceited. I'm imagining her and Gabriel," he said quickly.

"NO! NO! NO!"

Renee sighed exasperatedly and shoved past them, striding towards the elevators. Fred followed after hearing the words "the Slayer's lap dog" come from Spike's mouth.

* * *

Next chapter: THE CULLENS MAKE THEIR APPEARANCE!


	7. Chapter 5

**A/N: **YAWN...I'm so tired...didn't sleep a wink last night...so I apologize if this chapter is totally disorganized. And I've coined a new word because of my sleep-deprived state: "legitified." Trying to say legit and tacking on a suffix...not a good combination. My brother laughed his ass off when he heard that. Anyway, the Cullens finally make a good appearance, and the lovable moron twins are still locked in a name-calling battle. Hope you like it, and **review. **You know you want to...

**Five**

Fred played with her fingers as the elevator slowly descended to the lobby. Renee stared at the buttons, as if trying to make the machine move faster. Finally, there was a quiet _ding _as the doors rolled open, revealing the ever-luxurious hotel grand lobby. The towel fetcher glanced over at her before doing a small doubletake, and winked when he caught her eye. "Um, who's that?" Fred asked, looking around for their guests.

"No clue," Renee replied as she gave him a small wave. "I wonder how he knows it's me. My hair color's different. Then again, there is a salon upstairs somewhere in the store area. Perhaps it looks like I made a detour on my way to my room...?"

"Uh-huh. Right. Oh, look, is that them?" She pointed towards a group of college kids, who were complaining about their rooms to one of the managers.

Renee shook her head. "No. Too noticeable. They shouldn't attract much attention like that."

"Then how about them?" Fred pointed to four older adults, who had their heads together over a large map of the area.

"Believe me, the Cullens should stand out. They don't exactly...look like regular people. They are vampires."

_Make up your mind. _"Yes, but what kind? Like Angel and Spike, or like you?"

"Wow, I'm surprised you **know **there are two kinds."

"Sometimes, in Wesley's old books, 'strange, breathtaking creatures that appeared at night' were mentioned a few times. I don't mean to sound rude or nothing, but Angel and Spike...well, they aren't exactly breathtaking. More like handsome..." She grinned, appearing to slip into her own world. "And noble...and courageous...and champions." She turned to the elevators. "I wonder if they're gonna come down at all."

"I wouldn't count on it, sweetheart. Ha! There they are!" With a wide smile, Renee strode over to a shadowy area, where three couches were arranged neatly. Four teenagers were sitting silently, staring around at them. When she got closer, all four heads turned toward her. "Hello. Can I help you in some way?"

"Breathtaking" hardly described them. They were gorgeous, stunning people you wouldn't expect to see in the real world. More like in a painting, or carved into an angel. They were obviously couples, two pairs on different couches. The older-looking ones were so contrasting. The girl was tiny, with black pixie hair and skinny in the extreme. Her boyfriend was tall and lean, but still pretty muscled up, with honey blonde locks. The younger couple drew her attention the most. The boy was younger than the other man, with strange bronze hair and not as built, more slim. The girl was obviously human, not as stunning. Still, she was pretty, with straight brown hair and large chocolate eyes.

_A human...intriguing._

The female vampire spoke, her voice rather like Kate's, high but pretty. "Hi. I assume you're the person we're here for. Miss Monticello, correct?"

"You assume right. I'd prefer Renee, if you don't mind. 'Miss Monticello' kinda died out in the late 1800s."

The blonde vampire laughed quietly.

"Um, we were kinda expecting..." The human girl trailed off, and she slightly blushed. "Well...someone a little more different. You don't have the hair color we were looking for, nor the eyes." Her blush deepened. "Forget I said anything."

"No, no. This discussion is open to all." She sat down on the empty couch. "Fred, will you please join us?" she called.

"OH! Sorry! Sorry, I get distracted so easily." She smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Hi, I'm Fred. Er, my name is Winifred. Burkle, Winifred Burkle. Heh. Um, but people just call me Fred, you know, 'cause it's short for Winifred, or you can call me anything you like. I mean, I might like it in return, as long as it's not degrading or anything, 'cause you know that's just plain rude, but anything'll do, really, and-"

Renee cleared her throat.

Fred's hand slapped over her mouth. "Oops. I got a little carried away."

"My name's Bella," said the human girl, still looking embarrassed and out-of-place.

"Alice," smiled the female vampire.

"Jasper." The blonde nodded.

"Edward," murmured the bronze-haired.

Renee inclined her head at the younger male vampire. "Are you his sons?"

Edward raised his eyebrow. "You knew we were coming."

"Not you guys exactly, but someone close to Carlisle in general. Are you his sons? And daughter?" she added, her eyes on Alice.

"Mm-hmm!" Alice nodded vigorously. "Sons and daughters," she corrected. Her eyes flickered towards Bella.

She frowned. "Soon-to-be daughter?"

Now Fred stared at them all before looking at the only pure human in their midst. "Holy jalapenos! You're human!"

"Yeah, we know, Fred. It's been made clear."

"But you're dating a vampire! Isn't that kinda...weird?" Her large eyes got bigger. "I mean, the only person I know who ever did that is that girl with the funny name. Angel and Spike dated her, right?"

"She's not alone," Renee muttered. "Getting back on track, why are you here? I could see your decision on coming, but not the why part of it."

"Carlisle asked us to find you," explained Jasper. "He's been having these flashes of things, fragments of memories suddenly starting to appear, and he has no explaination for them. To him, none of those moments or people ever existed. This was a test to see if you were real." He gestured to her hair. "However, it would seem as if he got two people mixed up."

"Oh, right! The hair color thing." She looked around; the lobby had emptied of people, with the exception of Towel Boy, who was busy on the phone, his back facing them. "All's clear, so..." She scrunched up her nose, and a lighter brown tone trickled down from her roots, and her eyes lightened, becoming a hazel. "An excellent disguise. And the way your father imagined me since this was how I looked the last time he saw me."

Fred raised her hand. "You can do that?"

"Amazing, ain't it?"

"So it's like transmogrifying, only you don't completely change."

Renee sighed. "Yes, Fred."

"Talking too much again?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Sorry. Again."

Edward wrapped an arm around Bella's waist. "Are you a vampire?"

"You couldn't tell?"

"The hair. The eye color. You're not as pale, and you don't have the purple bruises under your eyes," Jasper calmly listed.

Renee laughed lightly. "I told you they were for traveling incognito. The paleness and the bruises, I can't explain. Ever since your father changed me, I've always been so odd. Not like the usual garden variety vamps, more like..." She trailed as Edward's nostrils flared. "You don't know about his transforming me?"

"Obviously not," he growled.

"Jesus, **he** probably doesn't know." She fumed for a moment before scrutinizing Edward again. "You're like me, right? Mind-reader?"

He nodded stiffly. "You can sense that?" Fred inquired. "Wow."

"Give me your hand. We can communicate by touch." She held out her hand.

It took Edward a few seconds before reaching out and grasping hers, and the pair closed their eyes to focus harder. A small silence fell over them. Fred counted in her head, and at 1,567 their eyes opened and they slowly released each other's fingers. "Interesting," he muttered. "Very interesting. You've had one hell of an existence."

"Those were the necessities. Talk to me after you report back to your father, and I'll fill you in on the other wonderful aspects of _la vie Renee._"

Fred giggled. "I didn't know you spoke French."

"I didn't know you were a physisist." Her smile was wry.

"Then it looks like we have some buddy-buddying to do."

"It seems we do." Renee checked her watch. "Gabriel's still waiting for me to..." She paused. "Anyway, I really must be going. You're welcome to stay here in the hotel, before leaving back to..."

"Washington," Alice answered.

"That's a long journey," Fred whistled. "You guys should get some rest." She was baffled when everyone besides herself laughed.

For the first time, Edward smiled. "We like to drive very fast, so I think we'll be fine."

"Here." Renee tossed him a set of keys. "You're gonna go down this street, and make a left at the third stopsign. Go into the five-story garage. Second floor, and you'll see my cars. Take the one in the far top-right corner. Believe me, you won't miss it. It'll get you where you going twice as fast, and it's a gift to your family. Take care." With one last smile, she walked away with a grace that Fred had missed before.

"Well, um...guess I'll be..." Fred cut off, her breaths coming quicker and quicker. "Oh, no." She gasped, doubled over, and clutched her stomach. "It always feels so weird..." She glanced up at the concerned vampires, and gave a small laugh. "Bye, you guys." Her entire body twitched, and she began to turn blue.

"Fred!" Bella cried. "Edward, do something!"

"You no good, rotten, punky, Billy Idol-worshipping, train wreck nightmare," yelled a tall brunette that was stepping off one of the elevators. Spike and Angel had finally come down, and it seemed their sparring match had grown to ridiculous heights. Renee shook her head before getting into the lift they had departed from.

"Oh yeah?" shot back Spike. "How about lift-wearing, puppy-loving, tree-hugging, petty wanker?"

"I DO NOT HUG TREES!"

"You might as well, with that nancy boy attitude of yours." He noticed the group staring at him. "What are you sods-oh. Illyria. She's trying to come back out. No use in standing there, trying to help her." It was true, for Jasper was kneeling besides the blue demon, attempting to put out her pain with his ability.

Illyria slowly lifted her head, glaring up at him. "Another one, standing here in my presence. Are you cowering before me?"

"No, love," Spike called, ignoring Angel's deathglare. "He's trying to fix you."

"I need no treatment." She stood, giving them all her best leer. "No slime shall touch me, especially not ones that are unclean and filthy, like you," she added, turning her Medusa gaze on Spike and Angel.

"Oh, so now I'm slime and filth?!" Angel exclaimed, throwing up his hands.

Spike looked amused. "No way, mate. You've always been slime and filth."


	8. Chapter 6

**A/N: **For those of you who have yet to read my profile, take a look. :D. You may crack up on my little rant about Breaking Dawn. Just like the last HP book, it left me **satisfied. **I don't need anymore stories following that ending, so yeah. Lots of people were upset about it, though, and I can't imagine why. I myself have one beef, but not with the whole damn book, just one little idea. Anyway, one of the main conflicts of the story is introduced in this chapter, so...yeah. -.-

**PLEASE...review. :D It truly makes my day to see one...**

**Six**

Gabriel looked up from his second cup of coffee. "Finally, the proverbial vampire queen returns," he teased, raising his mug in mock salute. "How goes the other creatures of the night?"

Renee rolled her eyes at him. "They just wanted to talk, nothing special. I have a feeling that we'll be seeing them again, though." She eyed him with severely narrowed eyes. "About your...proposition. Can it possibly wait until we get to L.A safe and sound? I can't help but imagine Angel's reaction to my side of the bargain." She made a face. "He's the jealous type without meaning to be."

"I suppose it can wait," he said slowly after careful consideration, but his grin still remained. "For now, we'll be casual friends."

Once again, she rolled her eyes. "Whatever floats your boat."

He scooted his chair out, so he could tower over her. "Does that mean...I can have...whatever I want, whenever I want?" he asked.

Renee backed up warily. "I never said you could. I was referring to the negotiations, and when the bargains should be fulfilled."

He sighed. "Your English accent is heavenly, as is your extended vocabulary." His eyes twinkled. "I like that. I **really **like that."

"Now, Gabriel..."

"You know, Viv is a great kid, she really is. Thing is, she's a **kid. **Can't exactly measure up to anything a **woman **could possibly give me."

Another step. "Don't look at me that way..."

"You're a woman. I'm a man. We should work together perfectly, right?"

Yet another step. She was getting closer to the bedroom, and her brain clicked. _So much for waiting until LA. _"Gabriel, stop it."

"Let's try out my little theory, see if it works."

_He wouldn't cheat on Vivian. She's so nice and beautiful. He'd never cheat on her...would he? I mean, he'd be one of the biggest conquests I'd ever have, and all I have to do is take him from a little girl? No. I can't do that to her, not to his lover..._Even as she fought with herself, her mind screaming at her body, his mouth captured hers in a frenzy, like a starving man at an endless banquet.

--

Fred bounced anxiously as the Cullens and Bella surveyed their rooms. "So is it up to your high standards, or do you prefer something more tasteful, because I'm sure we can find you better rooms here, since there's like a billion floors, and the night shift manager seems to really like Renee, so I'm positive she can get you another room-"

Jasper sniggered. "This is fine, Fred," Alice reassured her. "Bella needs her rest before we head back to Washington."

The young Texan's eyes lit up. "Where exactly do you live? Seattle? Tacoma? Olympia?"

Edward laughed. "Not in a big city. We live in Forks, on the Olympic Penisula."

"Forks? Sounds kinda familiar. Is it near that one reservation on the coast?"

"Are you talking about La Push?"

"Yes! I'd love to visit that place someday, see how the Quileute tribe live their lives."

"Pretty much like ours," Jasper said.

"Oh." Fred frowned. "So is everyone in Washington a vampire?"

They all groaned.

--

Illyria paced around the dark room, her eyes a little narrowed and never leaving the space in front of her. After watching her for an entire ten minutes, Spike sighed and set down the controller to the suite's own Xbox 360. "Is there something you'd like to tell me, pet? Otherwise, I may get dizzy from all the circlin'."

She glared at him. "I sense a great lust. Very powerful, with a subtle hint of irritation."

He smirked. "This is a hotel, love. People shag in places like this all the time. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"It's coming from the floor above us. I've never sensed anything this powerful, this...magnificent." Her head did its infamous tilt. "Renee and the dog are in her room."

Spike blinked once before chuckling. "Don't tell Sargeant Broodypants that, or he'll throw a fit. Wanted to see if she would consider being in a relationship again, but without all the flowers and puppies attached. You'd think he'd be all, 'No, we can't do that because I'm noble and boring and a stiff priss who must brood with no company and I push everyone who gives a damn about me away,' but then again, it is Renee. She's not what anyone'd call normal." He leaned back in his chair and resumed playing Gears of War. "Second thought, have at it."

--

Alice and Edward stared at one another, a look of deep concentration on their faces. Bella watched in high anticipation, her eyes flickering from one angelic face to the other. Finally, after she was sure an hour had gone by and neither statue moved, Alice relaxed in her recliner, a flicker of annoyance crossing her features. "Damn you," she muttered.

Edward sat back, laughing quietly. "Five games in a row."

Bella stared at them before staring at the Connect Four in front of them. "What's the point of setting up the game if you guys play everything in your head?"

Shaking his head, Jasper answered her question. "It's not like they do it on purpose; Alice gets the vision and Edward reads her mind. If she gets the vision before touching the game, it means they play it out mentally."

"I'll give you that," Bella murmured. "They're mental."

The absurdly handsome blond threw back his head and laughed.

"Don't laugh at me!"

He cut off, swiftly turning his head to gaze dreamily at Alice, as if seeing the sun for the first time in his life. "Jazz?" she asked concernedly. (Is that a word? It's one now) "What's wrong?"

He continued to stare at her intensely.

"Oh, no," Edward whispered horrified. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying not to look at Bella and failing miserably. "This is really bad..."

"Okay, I'm lost here..." Bella trailed off as a strong wave of desire and passion hit her hard. She glanced at Edward, and saw him in a whole new light. "Edward, you look so...sexy and handsome and..."

He pulled her roughly into his arms and kissed her ravenously. Jasper and Alice were already in the bedroom, futilely attempting to be quiet and discreet.

* * *

Angel turned over in his bed, groaning about how the room managed to smell like burnt bacon from his dreams...**his arm was on fire.**

The window, still wide open from last night when he'd gotten up to get some fresh air (though he was sure he had closed it), had sunlight streaming in from the beautiful Vermont morning. Gasping, he jumped out of bed and rushed over to the kitchen, turned on the faucet, and stuck his scorched hand under the running water. "Ahhhhhh..."

Someone knocked on his door. "Hey, big guy!" Spike called. "Plane's gonna leave in an hour. We gotta jet, pardon the pun."

"Coming, coming..." He nearly tripped over the glass coffee table. "One minute." Why, of all times, did he have to act clumsy and dorky? For Pete's sake, he was a champion! Champions didn't trip over inanimate objects.

"Did the window fry you, mate?"

_How does he...? _"Spike, spit it out. Who left my window open last night?"

"Sure as hell wasn't me. A little trick of Rennie's. She tried to wake you up a half hour ago, didn't work. Ended up in a rage and left your curtains open to, quote unquote, 'teach you a lesson or two.'"

"Dammit..."

"Still having trouble there? Want me to send in the Blue Ox?"

"No, no. Everything's fine. Just let me get dressed and I'll be out shortly."

BAM. BAM. BAM. "Angel, hurry the hell up!" Renee shouted from outside his door. "We need to catch our flight."

He heard Spike chortle. "Told you we should have taken a private charter, mate."


	9. Chapter 7

**A/N: So so so sorry!! It's taken me so long to get this out. SORRY!! **Just now watched the new MV for DBSK, and OHMYGODS. If I were to die now, my happiness would match none. XD If you've never heard of DBSK, I don't blame you. They're Korean. But check it out nonetheless. WARNING: CHANGMIN AND MICKY are TOTATLLY MINE. Yunho will soon be mine (watch your back, Midori...) COMPLETE 180 And since I like giving nicknames to the characters, **Rennie is pronounced REE-nee. **Of course, Angel and Spike's names are too short for NNs, so we'll just have to settle with degrading names. :D

And I found this random quote, which I think I'll use in DoD, in the future:

_**"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" said Alice.  
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.  
"I don't much care where –" said Alice.  
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.  
"– so long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.  
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough." **_

-Alice in Wonderland, the Weirdest Book Ever

Not much to say. Enjoy this chapter.

**Seven**

The plane had barely taken off before Angel unbuckled himself and turned on Renee, who was quietly enjoying her twenty-second time reading Dante's _Inferno. _"Alright now, I've got a bit of a problem with you. You set me on fire."

She absentmindedly turned a page. "Correction:** I** opened a window. The **sun** set you on fire."

"It doesn't matter. You could've killed me!"

"No, I love you too much, Angel, darling. Why on Earth would I set you on fire? If I wanted to kill you, shouldn't a simple stake to the heart take you out much faster? Plus, I have those awesome superpowers that **no one else **has. I could just do this." She raised her free hand and flexed her fingers. Nearly invisible strings snaked around Angel's arm and sliced into his skin, blood beginning to ooze from the wounds. "Killing you would be too easy."

"...I-but...you..." he spluttered.

"Time to get serious." Renee leaned forward. "For once you have some decent allies on your side: me and Gabriel. If you can convince your son to join us, Angel, I think we may stand a fighting chance against hell." She inserted her thin platinum bookmark and closed the book. "The one thing that's keeping me from marching straight down into the fire is my sister. I have no clue where they buried her." She looked at Gabriel. "Did you have a funeral for her?"

He sadly shook his head. "Hell no. I wanted to keep my distance from the body, or risk getting my ass arrested."

Spike, Gunn and Fred looked confused. "Katherine's dead?" Spike whispered. "But, she was human!"

"Oh, right." Renee blinked. "You guys still don't know. He killed my sister."

Fred raised her hands. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm completely lost here, and this is kinda coming outta nowhere. Did you just say that he killed your sister? Are you...okay with that?"

Renee looked outraged. "Why would anyone be okay with that news?"

"Sorry, I'm just tryin' to understand." She took a deep breath. "So, what, he's like our lapdog for now until this apocalypse is over?"

Gabriel scowled at her. "I'm not a lapdog."

Angel smirked. "An involuntary warrior to a good cause. Otherwise known..."

Spike finished his sentence. "As a lapdog. Believe me, Wonderboy over here would know all about being a lapdog, wouldn't you?"

"Spike," Angel growled.

Gunn sighed impatiently. "For once, can you two not bicker like twelve-year-olds on a playground?"

"Well..." Gabriel's grin was wide as he looked at Renee. "I wouldn't necessarily say involuntary." When he caught her mouth opening in slight shock, he winked. "Renee has her ways of...persuasion." Her face was plain: If you tell anyone about last night, you will suffer a slow and painful death. It was hilarious yet absolutely adorable.

"Whatever," she said through her teeth. "The forces of evil haven't made a move, and there's no word of an invasion, so we can lay low for now. Strategy and the element of surprise are our only options right now. Fred." The young Texan started. "Is there any way you can get ahold of my sister's records? I need to find that grave."

"No problem. I'm on it." She pulled out her MacBook Pro and got to work.

"Spike, how did you know she was human?" Angel asked him.

"Well, the vampire grapevine works wonders. Right before me and Dru rampaged through Sunnydale-"

"If by rampage, you meant frolicked."

"...rampaged through Sunnydale, she wanted to know how Kitten was doing. More accurately, why she wasn't on the radar for killing and slaughtering men, as we were so used to. Found out she had a heartbeat and a soul."

"Does everyone know everything before I do?"

"Nah, mate. Unlike you, we don't spend half the morning putting in hairgel. We look for news, we don't wait for it to find us."

--

_**In the midway of this our mortal life,  
I found me in a gloomy wood, astray,  
Gone from the path direct.**_

_Hm. Dante was a strange fellow. What in God's name inspired him to write this tragic yet insanely addictive...book? Was his sex life nonexistent? That usually applies to many writers, who seem to have much time on their hands. Maybe he had a mistress to keep him company while he wrote. I'd like to see his original copy: proably smattered drool and body fluids everywhere, from watching her dance. His wife wouldn't have liked that. Bet she didn't even know he was cheating on her. Or was that even considered cheating back in those days? Was it a requirement or expected to have a mistress, or did she just turn the proverbial other cheek?_

"You look deep in thought," said Gabriel, relaxing in the seat beside her. He wound a loose hair back into place. "Care to explain?"

She didn't look up from her book as she answered tersely, "It's the next day, Gabe. You can stop pretending you actually like me."

"Never said I didn't. You're a different sort of girl. Snarky, with a sadistic sense of humor."

"Hmmm." Steadily ignoring him.

He leaned closer to her and whispered gently in her ear. "Remember our bargain, sweetheart," he said dangerously. "I help you fight, and you sleep with me."

"Is your memory slipping, or was last night not considered 'sleeping together?'"

"I didn't say a one-night stand," he muttered almost seductively.

Now she looked up, agitated. "No."

"Yes. Otherwise, you lose a fighter."

She grimaced. "You fight dirty." She clenched her jaw. "Fine. But know that I have no interest in you other than the obvious physical."

As soon as those words left her mouth, Gabriel made his choice. Make her fall in love with him, and the humiliation alone would satisfy him. Sex was just another luxury. He chuckled and lowered his lips to her neck. Renee's jaw strained with the tension. "Good. I'll be seeing you, then. But just as a reminder..." He gently sucked on her skin, and he felt her hand sliding away from his arm. He heard a tiny _twang _and suddenly his arm felt as if it were being painfully sliced into by a thousand daggers. He lifted his mouth to see small incisions up and down his forearm, blood already beginning to stream out of them.

"Get away from me," she snarled.

He smirked. Her anger was unnecessary and endearing, like a small kitten getting agitated. "Enjoy your book, darling." Smiling at the outraged look on her face, he stood and sauntered back to his seat. In front of him, Spike was doubled over with silent laughter as Angel furiously pummeled his bag of peanuts.

--

"Am I usually the last one to know about these things?" Angel growled as he tossed the peanut dust into a small bin by his seat. "Since when did Renee lower herself to bed a **dog**?"

Spike chortled. "You know perfectly well you can't do a bloody thing about it. Love's one thing, but lust is something different." He glanced over at Gabriel, who was wrapping his arm tightly. "I wouldn't suggest getting on the bad side of McFurry over there. He'll just give it to her harder." His grin was wicked. "Besides, if you two have a toss in the hay, you'd get one of those perfectly happy moments, and then Renee would hafta stake you."

Angel groaned. He'd nearly forgotten about his curse.

Fred giggled, looking up out of her glasses. "Angel, you're so cute when you're jealous."

"Who's jealous?" he muttered, roughly turning the pages of the newspaper he swiped from Gunn.

Gabriel gasped as the pain hit him in a fresh new wave. "What the hell'd you do to my arm? My bicep will never be the same..."

Renee cackled. "That's what you get."

"Hey!" Fred exclaimed. Her face was lit up. "Found a possible burial site! Bad news is, it's on Quileute territory. Nowhere near L.A."

Angel and Renee exchanged glances. "We'll go. The rest of you can stay at Wolfram and Hart until we get back." When Gabriel opened his mouth to complain, Angel stopped him. "You two can screw each other's brains out when we get back."

If Renee could blush, she would've been as red as a tomato. "That's right. Have a bit of restraint."

He glared at her. _Not the deal, princess. _"I refuse to sit out of the action."

"We're going to dig up my sister's grave. There's not going to BE any action besides dirt flying everywhere."

Gunn frowned heavily. "Fred, you said that she's buried on Quileute territory. Are you talking about the tribe up in Washington State?"

"Mm-hm. Why?"

"Think about it. Didn't Gabe here kill her on the East Coast?"

The three vampires were absolutely still. Gabriel raised his eyebrows and Fred gasped.

"Who had her moved all the way over there?"

Renee let her head fall into her hands. "This is more complex than I realized." _Does this mean...that raising her from the dead...was the plan all along?! I can't allow that to happen! Not to her!_


End file.
